Waterloo
by Vinyalambe
Summary: How can one simple decision change the outcome of the world? It happened to Napoleon. It may happen to Harry Potter, and the wizarding world.
1. For Him

Waterloo Chapter One: For Him 

**Disclaimer: **If I had as much money as J.K Rowling did, would I even be here? I'll probably be rolling around in gold or something, throwing fifty-dollar bills in the air. But enough with my wistful dreaming. Oh yeah, no copyright or trademark infringement intended.

**Summary:** How can one simple decision change the outcome of the world? It happened to Napoleon. It may happen to Harry Potter, and the wizarding world.

**Pairings: **Draco/Hermione

**Author's Note:** I know this story may sound slightly OOC (Out of Character), but I'll do my best to try and keep the story flowing. My concepts of Harry Potter may be incorrect so please, feel free to correct any of my mistakes. Oh yes, italics are flashbacks.

**Dedication:** Written in their respective wishes, my lovely Dragonboat sisters, Brittney Hugelshofer, and Cherise Louie.

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Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end. -Author Unknown

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Hermione closed her eyes, silently willing the tears to subside. A lump rose to her throat, as she tried to squash the feeling of dread away from her stomach.

"For Harry, Hermione, for Harry," she thought fervently.

Recent events had taken a toll upon the Light sight. Their most important spy, Severus Snape, had been murdered by Lord Voldemort's own hand. Suspicions were aroused when Professor Albus Dumbledore had not heard from Snape for a number of days. The fears were confirmed when a frightening letter was sent to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Obviously, the contents were not revealed to the young inhabitants of Grimmauld Place, but Harry, Ron and Hermione were informed of Snape's death. As a consequence of the death also meant that the Order of the Phoenix could not keep reliable tabs on Voldemort's plans, subsequently quelling to a higher level of fear never experienced before. Shadowed eyes, and facades of happiness only added the level of tension felt in the household. This had brought on a drastic change in young Harry Potter, evident only to his closest friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry's growing quietness and subdued attitude was inevitable. Sirius Black's death was devastating; he was the last family member that exhibited love toward Harry.

Hermione knew that every attack, and every Light death weighed heavily upon Harry. He had blamed himself for Sirius's death, and the several deaths occurring after Snape's death. Snape's death was a dark, grim day…

_Harry and Ron sat, eyes fixed squarely on each other. The atmosphere in the room crackled with intensity. According to the boys, it was the chess match of the century. Harry was remotely close to beating Ron, an achievement that marked a possible blow to Ron's ego. _

_Hermione snorted inelegantly, as Harry lifted a hand ever so slowly, toward his queen. Ron raised his eyebrows as if to say, "You sure?" Harry closed his fingers over the piece and started to move it forward. However, this move was never completed, as Tonks had suddenly burst into the room, her hair disheveled, and eyes wild. _

_"Harry, Ron, Hermione, meeting room. Now," she ordered them._

_Hermione asked, "Why?"_

_Tonks replied crisply, "Dumbledore's orders."_

_They scrambled off of the floor, and followed Tonks silently out of Harry's room. News from the meeting room was never good news. They tread over the threadbare carpet, lined with decrepit walls, stained with age. As they filed into the meeting room, they found Professor Dumbledore sitting at the long table, weariness evident in his face, the sparkle in his eyes extinguished. _

_Dumbledore smiled as he saw them, but it was a sad smile, one that did not quite reach his eyes._

_"Please, sit," he said, gesturing to the chairs in front of him._

_Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down, just as Tonks discreetly left the room, giving them privacy._

_Dumbledore stretched out his fingers, and then tented them. He took a deep breath._

_Harry was writhing with agitation, he was internally screaming with impatience. He needed to know **now**._

"_I don't quite know how to break this to you," Dumbledore said hesitantly, "but Severus Snape has been killed."_

_Utter silence reigned. Shock reverberated through the atmosphere.  
Severus Snape had not been a kind figure in their lives but he was one of the few familiar things in their lives that still existed._

_Dumbledore sighed as his shoulders sagged visibly. "I'm not certain whether you are aware of this but Professor Snape was a valuable source of information for our side. Things are now very dangerous and just be careful."_

"_Professor?" Ron said quaveringly._

"_Yes Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked gently._

"_How exactly did Professor Snape die?"_

Snape died by Voldemort's own hand. No one was quite sure on how he was murdered but it was quite definite he was. The only evidence needed were the contents of that fateful letter.

Following Snape's death, several Order members had been brutally murdered, among them, Bill and Charlie Weasley. The death of the two oldest of the Weasley clan, forced the rest of the Weasleys to recuperate rather rapidly, for there were no times of weakness. If Voldemort knew of these weaknesses, he would have annihilated the Order as quickly and relentlessly as possible. They had to be strong, individually, and unified.

"Be strong, Hermione, be strong," she whispered to herself, feeling fear creeping up her spine in cold waves.

A hooded shadow glided to the centre of the circle of Deatheaters. He spread his arms wide, and looked around the dark figures.

"My fellow Deatheaters, a great asset walks with us tonight. She will help us bring down Harry Potter and his followers!" Voldemort exclaimed.

Murmurs filled the circle, wondering who was this mysterious stranger, who would bring victory to Voldemort.

"Miss Granger, step forward, my dear," Voldemort said.

Hermione moved forward, shuddering slightly at the voiced endearment. Gasps soon echo throughout the clearing, realizing that this was one of Harry Potter's best friends, "Mudblood" Hermione Granger.

"Miss Granger has agreed to join us in the pursuit of a Dark world. No one is to harm her, and we must ensure that the Light side does not attempt to capture her." Voldemort intoned.

"Now, Miss Granger." Voldemort said, turning to Hermione, "you will not receive the Dark Mark, as it would draw much attention if discovered. Also, you will not go on attacks, as we feel you are too valuable to sacrifice. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Lord," Hermione said.

Voldemort faced his Deatheaters again, guiding Hermione in front of him. "Do you swear your allegiance to the Dark Lord, only to be released upon death?" he asked.

Hermione swallowed and whispered, "Yes, my Lord."

Voldemort just replied, "Good. Meeting adjourned." He disappeared with a slight pop.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and began to walk back to Hogwarts from the Forbidden Forest. However, she wasn't paying attention, and promptly walked into a dark clothed someone.

A pair of steel gray eyes glittered at her.

"Hello, Granger."

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Well, that's the first chapter! Please review!

Love, Vinyalambe


	2. Secrets Hidden, Secrets Revealed

**Waterloo**

Chapter Two: Secrets Hidden, Secrets Revealed Disclaimer: If I had as much money as J.K Rowling did, would I even be here? I'll probably be rolling around in gold or something, throwing fifty-dollar bills in the air. But enough with my wistful dreaming. Oh yeah, no copyright or trademark infringement intended. 

**Summary:** How can one simple decision change the outcome of the world? It happened to Napoleon. It may happen to Harry Potter, and the wizarding world.

**Pairings: **Draco/Hermione

**Dedication:** Written in their respective wishes, my lovely Dragonboat sisters, Brittney Hugelshofer, and Cherise Louie.

**Author's Note:** I know this story may sound slightly OOC (Out of Character), but I'll do my best to try and keep the story flowing. My concepts of Harry Potter may be incorrect so please, feel free to correct any of my mistakes. Oh yes, italics are flashbacks. Warning! Warning! Ok, this story will be slightly _slightly_ AU (Alternate Universe because this was planned way before HBP was released. I didn't get around to write it, ok? Get off my back. So please, no comments on AUness because **they will not be tolerated**. I read the bloody book, capeesh?

When love is not madness, it is not love. Pedro Calderon de la Barca

"Malfoy," Hermione breathed, her eyes widening with fear.

"Tut tut, Granger. Didn't Potty and Weasel teach you not to mess with the Dark Arts? Tell me, did they let go of the tight rein that they usually keep you on?" Malfoy sneered, his trademark smirk flitting across his face.

"Shut up, Malfoy. It's none of your business," Hermione snapped.

"Oh, but it is, my dear mudblood," Malfoy drawled. "You see, you're a Death Eater, darling."

Hermione snarled back, "I am well aware of that, Malfoy. Your point?"

"My point, as you so eloquently put it, is that you are at a Death Eater meeting without the presence of your precious Potty and Weasel, and a servant of the Dark Lord to boot! Merlin, I didn't know you had it in you, Granger!" Malfoy said, while simultaneously raising his left eyebrow with mock surprise.

"Had precisely what in me, Malfoy?" Hermione spat viciously.

Malfoy gestured aristocratically at the dark figures slowly leaving the clearing, "The Dark Side! Contempt, evil, black magic, it doesn't matter what you call it, but it's core exists right here with the Dark Lord. And you, mudblood have it."

"I don't know what you're talking about Malfoy, but I don't care," Hermione retorted, and strode off with her robes swirling.

He just laughed.

The Hogwarts' train whistled shrilly, signaling for everybody to climb onto that bright red train. That train had brought much magic, joy, excitement, and several adventures. It never occurred to any occupant that it would be the starting point of a long run of secrecy, lies, and betrayal.

Hermione slowly stepped into the train, dreading the inevitable meeting of her friends. She couldn't tell them about her recent affiliation with the Dark Lord. Especially not the part about being a death eater, even if she was doing it for Harry. And the part about Malfoy.

"Hermione! Over here!" a voice yelled to her left. She turned and saw Ron waving manically from a compartment in her direction.

She faked a large smile, and walked toward Harry and Ron.

"Hey, how was your summer?" Harry inquired. "You didn't stay at the Burrow this time."

"Yeah, I know," Hermione replied. "My parents wanted me to spend the summer with them. Her heart twinged slightly at the lie she so smoothly created.

"Too bad," Ron commented, his mouth full of pumpkin pastry. "Charlie came round, told us all these fantastic stories about the dragons." He lowered his voice. "They're trying to get them all on our side. Charlie reckons that You-Know-Who would never suspect the dragons, cause they never choose sides."

"Shhhh, Ron. Don't say anything here. You know what Dumbledore said." Harry hissed, his emerald eyes darting around nervously. "You never know who's listening."

"Oh yeah. Dumbledore says to not mention any of the Order stuff, to anyone except us and the Order members. There could be spies of You-Know-Who anywhere, and this kind of information is valuable to You-Know-Who."

Hermione inwardly flinched at the words "spies of You-Know-Who". If only they knew what she had been up to. They would throw a fit, consider her untrustworthy, and worst of all sever all ties of friendship, and mark her as a power crazed Voldemort worshipping witch.

While she was silently thinking, Harry and Ron had moved the conversation onto a safe topic, Quidditch. Hermione soon tuned out the conversation, and stared out the window, watching the countryside blur past.

The Great Hall glittered as always, with the empty plates and goblets. Stars shone down the students and professors of Hogwarts. The Sorting Ceremony had just ended.

Hermione spied Dumbledore rising at the head of the teachers' table. Somehow, he looked older, wearier. The twinkle of his blue eyes that comforted them over the years had diminished.

"Welcome everyone to another year at Hogwarts! I trust your summers were full happiness. But as you know, dark times are upon us. We must stand together, united as a single force, to even have to chance to purge this world of evil," Dumbledore said solemnly. Then his face broke into a tired smile. "Mr. Filch has also reminded me that there is to be no magic to be used in corridors. The Forbidden Forest is off-limits to anyone that does not want to die a most untimely death. And now, let's eat!" Dumbledore said as he sat down.

Hermione pondered Dumbledore's words, standing together as one. She thought becoming a Death Eater was hardly considered uniting. Harry interrupted her thoughts by leaning across the table and whispering, "Malfoy's up to something. He's been staring at us for about ten minutes."

Casually, Ron and Hermione peered at the Slytherin table. Sure enough, Malfoy was looking at them peculiarly. He smirked, and slowly, deliberately, winked at Hermione. Hermione flushed, and immediately focused all of her attention on her mashed potatoes. Ron snorted and said, "Git. Probably trying to plot something against us again. Frankly, I wouldn't put it past him with his father being a Death Eater and all. Heck, he's most likely a Death Eater anyways." He dug into his roast beef with relish.

The Great Feast eventually came to an end, and everybody headed up to their dorms. The trio chatted along and they walked to the Gryffindor tower, full and very sleepy. They turned a corner, and came into contact with none other than Malfoy.

"Well, well. Isn't it the heroic Gryffindor trio?" Malfoy drawled.

"Sod off, Malfoy." Harry spat.

"My, what a dirty mouth you have Potter. I should have the house elves wash it out with soap," Malfoy drawled. "Speaking of dirty, you seem to be a little moody since I saw you two weeks ago, mudblood."

Hermione froze. Harry and Ron looked at her quizzically, and slightly accusingly.

Malfoy's expression turned to sheer delight as he saw the faces of Harry and Ron. "Surely you told them of our little rendezvous, haven't you Granger?"

Ron's face turned scarlet and he started spluttering, while Harry shot a questioning look at Hermione.

"Ah, well, it seems you haven't. I'll let you three catch up them," Malfoy smirked. He walked down the hall.

Hermione's insides writhed, as Harry and Ron faced her, demanding answers.

Red are roses,

Blue are the seas,

Review! Review!

Please? Please? Please?

Love,

Vinyalambe.


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